Iloilo City – Public schools in Western Visayas have collectively planted over 20,285 native tree seedlings as part of the nationwide Project DepEd 236,000 Trees – A Christmas Gift for Children tree-planting initiative on Wednesday. This environmental effort saw participation from all the 4,057 public schools in the region.
According to Philippines News Agency, information officer of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Western Visayas, each school planted a minimum of five seedlings either within their school grounds or in other suitable areas. The tree planting involved local, native, or fruit-bearing trees, in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Five schools from different divisions were featured in the live streaming of the event, including E.B. Magalona National High School in Negros Occidental, San Jose Elementary School in San Miguel from Iloilo province, Barangay E. Lopez National High School in Silay City, Esteban R. Abada Memorial School-East in Kabankalan City, and Tacas Elementary School in Iloilo City.
Escullar highlighted the significance of this activity as a way to engage students actively in tree planting, helping them understand environmental issues better and promoting conservation efforts. He emphasized the educational value of this hands-on experience, aiming to instill a strong sense of environmental responsibility among students.
The responsibility for ensuring the survival of these planted trees rests with the school heads for those within school premises. For trees planted outside the schools, coordination with the respective barangay officials is required to ensure their growth and preservation.
